Binary Destinies
by chaosmoon75
Summary: With a little twist of the possibilities, the lives of many people have been set to change from the horrible future that had once been their destinies. The ripple of those changes will continue to spread and will be felt by many more. The question is, will the changes end in good or ill? At least Lucrecia has finally decided to take a stand.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not now, nor will I ever own any rights to anything within the Final Fantasy VII Compilation. It is unfortunate, but it will remain that way throughout the story.

**A/N: **I have said for several weeks now that I will be putting this off, but it just didn't want to wait. I am not giving up on any of my active stories and I even have one more that I will probably start in the next couple of weeks, so please bare with me while my brain is still in story start overdrive. I am sure it will settle down eventually and I'll be able to focus properly. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy the fruits of my torment, or also known as my stories that I really do love writing :)

**Chapter 1**

The sound of a woman's screams still echoed around the room when another woman in a white lab coat lifted the child and moved to clean it. The first woman could again be heard quietly sobbing in the background, but no one was paying attention to it. The few people in the room had gathered to see the child that had been created. He was smaller than expected and the wisps of white hair that barely covered his tiny head were unexpected. Otherwise he looked like any other average child.

The woman handed the boy to a man that had been waiting by the door. "Professor, he seems normal except for his hair."

The man laughed an ugly laugh as he took the child. "His hair is of little concern. He will be the key to unlocking exactly what I want."

They were interrupted by a loud cry from the woman that had been weeping. The female that had been holding the boy went to see why she was screaming again and was surprised to see another head had started to appear. She immediately jumped into action as she called out to the others. "There is another one coming!"

The male that was holding the child walked over with curiosity. "Twins? I did not see twins in my examinations."

"Well, there is definitely a second child." The female scientist barely had time to grunt out her response before the second baby entered the world with a piercing cry. She cut the cord and held the child up for the scientist to see.

His eyes widened before he grinned. "Unexpected, but the possibilities have increased." He turned a glare to the woman holding the newborn before he continued. "Wash her and bring her to me. I want to test them both immediately."

The woman gave him a nod as he carried the boy out with him. She took the girl that she was carrying and handed her to one of the other scientists. "Clean her up and take her to Professor Hojo. I'll make sure Professor Crescent is taken care of."

The man gave her a nod as he took the child while the woman moved to the bedside. She looked down at the scientist that was still crying softly and felt her heart lurch. If fate had played out differently, it could have been her in that bed and crying for the loss of her children. Hojo had given strict instructions that Lucrecia was not to be allowed to hold them.

She shook off her morbid thoughts and quickly worked to help Lucrecia finish delivering the afterbirth and then helped to clean her up as much as possible. By the time she was finished, the male had already left with the second child and it was just the two of them left in the room. She hesitated for a moment, but knew if it was her, she would have appreciated at least an update. She sat beside the woman on the bed and took up her hand.

Lucrecia had started to doze off but opened her eyes at the feel of another hand on hers. She gave the woman a confused look and the woman squeezed her hand again before she spoke. "You had two healthy babies. Twins. One a boy and one a girl. They both look beautiful."

It took Lucrecia a few moments to understand what she had been told. The exhaustion from the birth still had her head wrapped in fog. When she realized there were twins, her eyes widened. "Twins? We weren't expecting that. I only have a name for a boy."

The scientist gave her a sad smile, but she still managed to speak. "I am sure that naming them will be the last thing on the Professor's mind. Do you have a preference?"

Lucrecia grimaced at the mention of her husband. She only knew part of what he had planned, as he refused to share the rest with her after she lost her temper when she found some of his plans. That little bit was still enough to make her blood run cold when she thought of it happening to her children. She was drawn back to the present when the girl gave her a worried look. She pushed her worry back for the moment. There wasn't anything she could do yet anyway. She took a few moments to think about it before she spoke. "The boy will be called Sephiroth. I am sure that is already written down somewhere. You said the other is a girl?"

When the other scientist nodded, she fell into contemplation again. Finally, she looked up with a sad smile. "If that is the case, then she should be named Seraphina. Sephiroth and Seraphina." The woman gave her a nod and got up to go input the two names. Once she was gone, Lucrecia turned her head into the pillow and wept. Her voice was barely heard in the empty room. "I only hope their names can help guide them to a better future than the one I have seen."

* * *

It was several days later that Lucrecia was finally able to make it out of bed. She had not yet donned her lab coat. She could barely stand the sight of it. When she left her room to walk around for a bit of exercise, she found that there were very few scientists left in the old mansion. She thought she was alone at first, until she caught sight of someone leaving the room that had the entrance to the basement. She called out to the woman before she got too far. "Wait! What happened here?" When the woman turned, Lucrecia was surprised to see it was the same woman that had asked about the children's names. Thinking about them instantly made her feel as if someone had stabbed her in the chest, but she managed to not show it while she waited for a response.

She wanted to cringe at the sympathetic look the woman gave her but didn't. She could hear the worry in the woman's voice as well. "Professor Crescent. I didn't realize you were well enough to be up." She paused and looked around nervously before she spoke again. "Everyone else has already gone back to Midgar with Professor Hojo. Evan and I stayed behind to clean things up before we join them as well. He has asked that we close off the basement and leave most of it. We are only taking back the important things."

Lucrecia gave her a surprised look. "Everyone has already gone? The ch-" She stopped before she could finish her sentence. She already knew the answer in her heart and didn't want it confirmed.

She was surprised when the woman walked to her and gave her arm a squeeze before she spoke again. "We were just going through some of the reports. Professor Hojo also left several of the experiments in the basement, but I believe they are only the ones he considered failures. I am supposed to lock the door down there and put the key in the safe, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I'm pretty sure I left it in the sun room."

Lucrecia gave the woman a confused look. She had no idea why the girl was telling her all of that. She didn't care what Hojo did with his experiments. Before she could say so though, a thought struck her. If he put all the failed experiments down there, then it might be worth checking into. It was at that moment that she realized that was exactly the reason the girl had mentioned it. Her eyes widened, but she kept her voice calm as she responded. "I will do my best to stay out of the way while you two finish up. I may come down at some point and see if I can help, but that will depend on how I feel."

The girl gave her a smile before she let go. "We would be happy for any assistance. Will you be going back to Midgar with us?"

Lucrecia gave her a contemplative look. "I am not sure yet."

The other scientist nodded her understanding. "Well, we will be here for several more days at least. You have time to think about it. I am sure if you decide to go back, there will be something for you to do."

Lucrecia felt her heart tear again. She knew the girl was only trying to be kind, but it served as a reminder that even if she went back to Midgar, Hojo would never allow her to see the children. Knowing they were so close and being unable to see them would likely end in her loosing her mind. She didn't speak those thoughts though. She managed to give the girl a half-hearted smile before she turned and headed back to her bed. She did want to see what Hojo left behind, but she needed rest first. She was still easily fatigued.

* * *

The next day Lucrecia managed to make her way down to the basement. She had found the keys in the windowsill in the sun room where the other scientist had said they would be. When she got to the door she was directed to, she had to take several deep breaths. Knowing Hojo, there was no telling what would be in the room. She finally pulled her courage together and opened the door.

She had to repress a shiver when the dim light from the cave only barely illuminated several coffins. She held the door open wider and felt around for a light switch, all without taking her eyes off the caskets. She was ready to run if one of them even moved.

It took her several moments to find what she was looking for, since she wasn't watching her hands, but once she found it, the room was filled with light. She nearly turned at left at that point. The light did very little to lessen the creepy vibe of the scattered coffins. Her gaze was drawn immediately to the one in the middle. It was the only one that was chained and locked closed. Somehow, she knew there was only one experiment that Hojo would be that worried about getting out.

She slowly made her way to the center of the room, all while trying to make as little noise as possible. She was aware that the others weren't necessarily empty, and if they did have occupants, there was no guarantee they would be deceased. By the time she made it to the one in the center, she was covered in a fine sheen of sweat from her nerves. She eyed the chains balefully for a moment while she tried to work out how best to remove them without a lot of rattling. She finally settled for sitting on them so they wouldn't rattle across the top and gently lowering them one by one once they were unlocked.

Once that was done, she felt a little more confident about not being bothered by an unexpected addition. Despite her efforts, the chains had still made a considerable amount of noise in the silence. She only hesitated for a few seconds before she pushed the lid back. It was heavier than she expected so she wasn't able to get it all the way off, but it was far enough back that she could see the person inside.

What she found made her gasp. She had been expecting Vincent Valentine, and he was the one inside, but he did not look the same as the last time she saw him. He was pale and his hair had grown enough to be slightly shaggy. The strangest thing though was the fact that he was not wearing his uniform. Instead it was replaced by a tattered red cloak that was moving like there was wind blowing it. There were no breezes in the room. All of that had her worried about what Hojo might have done while she was bedridden before the birth, but what really made her tears start was the fact that he didn't seem to be breathing.

She reached out to brush the hair off his face without thinking first. She never made contact. Her eyes widened in shock when his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. She nearly fell over, but he had an iron grip as he sat up. It was at that point she noticed that his arm had been replaced. He had a golden prosthetic that ended in claws. She had to fight the urge to try and break his grip and run when he finally looked her in the eye.

His voice was cold. "Why are you here?"

She sobbed at the sound of it and she wasn't entirely certain if it was because she had no idea of the extent of the things that had been done to him, or because he was staring at her like she was a stranger. Either way his grip tightened slightly until she finally answered. "I was told Hojo left many things behind here when he left me and took my children to Midgar. I hoped that I might find you."

His eyes narrowed but he stood and brought her up with him. He stepped out of the coffin before he spoke. "Children? I thought you were expecting a son."

She felt the tears flow faster at the thought of every minute of torture her children were likely to be enduring with the madman she had married. "Yes, twins. It was unexpected, but it makes no difference. Hojo has taken them and refuses to allow me to even see them."

He finally released her and took a step back. She choked on a sob at the sound of his voice. "What does that have to do with me?"

She was nearly screaming when she was finally able to answer. "What does it have to do with you! Everything! You asked me once if I was sure, not how dare I, but if I was sure. I told you then that if it only involved me then yes, I was certain, but it isn't just me. I wanted you to stand up for me then, for us, but you never did. You walked away like it had nothing to do with you." She stopped at that point and had to take a few breaths before she could continue. Her voice was nearly inaudible. "It has everything to do with you though. I had hoped you finally understood that."

She had turned away from him at that point, so she didn't see his widened eyes. Neither of them moved for several minutes. Finally, Vincent touched her shoulder. She gasped and turned to face him. His face was a mix of pain and confusion when he spoke. "You married Hojo."

She sighed and cast her gaze down. "Yes, and it is something I will forever regret. I did it because I was scared. I know I pushed you away when we first got close; I was so guilty over your father's death, but by the time I realized you didn't hold it against me, you had already reverted to being distant again. I know it is my fault, but please understand that I made a mistake, and I want to try to make up for it."

By that time, he had taken her arm in a tight grasp again. He no longer looked confused, but his anguish was clear. "The twins, they are not… they aren't Hojo's?"

The look she gave him mirrored his torment when she shook her head. He instantly pulled her into a crushing hug and his voice was low and rough when he spoke. "I should never have believed him."

Lucrecia's voice was just as broken. "He knew. He knew they were not his and he was jealous of you. He didn't shoot you because you confronted him. He shot you when you confronted him because he is human too, even if he refuses to admit it. It was a convenient excuse." She hugged him tighter and took a moment to clear her throat before she looked up and continued. "He has our children. Gaia only knows what he plans, but I cannot let the visions I saw come to pass. Please help me."

Vincent started growling and his face contorted in physical pain. Lucrecia wasn't sure what the problem was, but she wasn't letting him go, not even when he opened his eyes and they flashed gold. He tried to push away from her, but he didn't get far. He grabbed his head with his armored claw and bent nearly double. Lucrecia tried to help, but he wouldn't allow her close. It was several moments later that he finally calmed and stood straight.

The look he gave her was pained, but also angry. "We can discuss our issues at another time. First we need to find out where our children have been taken."

She gave him a nod. She still felt his distance like a knife to her heart, but he was right; they needed to help their children first. Unfortunately, it would not be easy. The Shinra headquarters was the most secure facility in the world, plus they had the Turks there and a budding private army. The Soldier program was still young, but the things they had seen mako do already were phenomenal, if still slightly unstable. All that meant that it would take time and planning. The thought sent her into tears again, as every day Hojo had them could be the day that breaks them.

Vincent must have understood part of what was on her mind as he closed his face off and walked to the door as he spoke. "It will take planning, and time. We can only hope that Hojo will save the worst parts for a few years at least."

She choked when he said years. She had expected weeks, maybe months, but not years. "Surely we can get them back before that." She hated that her statement was more like a question, but she had been unable to hide it.

She shrank back when he turned his cold eyes to her. "Do not be surprised if he moves them continuously once he finds out we are looking to get them back, and he will figure it out. He may be a madman, but he is intelligent. Do not let despair win before we have even started." She hated his words, and hated him for saying them, but she didn't dispute them. They were truth. She tried her best to harden her heart as he had. It would be the only way for them to get through, for them to have any chance of saving their children from the fiery future she had seen.

* * *

A helicopter had just landed on the pad at the top of the Shinra building and several people in white coats scrambled out. Two of them were holding small bundles. Those two immediately headed inside and to the 67th floor. The rest worked to gather their belongings and equipment. They had most of it ready to be hauled in when a single man stepped out of the helicopter. He was still watching the door where the first two had disappeared with a contemplative look.

He was pulled from his thoughts when an older man walked out to greet him. "Hojo. I didn't expect you back for some time. Did you get tired of the provincial life?"

He gave the approaching man a smile that anyone could tell was fake and his grating voice did nothing to hide his disdain. "Professor Gast, it is good to see you're still doing well. As for the project, it has gotten to the point that it would be better served to be here. We have need of the best facilities."

Faramis Gast knew that his position was precariously balanced. Not that he worried about his own projects, but he knew the man in front of him would stop at nothing to get the recognition he felt he deserved. It was one of the reasons he was glad the man had returned. It would be easier to watch him if he wasn't halfway across the globe. None of this showed when he responded jovially. "Well, I'm glad to hear it is going so well then. Were those two bundles the product of your experiments so far?"

Hojo knew the nosy man would find out eventually. He didn't yet have the power to keep it from him. That would change as soon as the two started to grow. He had already determined from their blood that they were extraordinary. They had bonded with the Jenova cells completely. Injecting them in vitro had been genius, even if most people condemned it as heinous and unstable. It worked in the end and that was all that mattered.

He barely managed to hold onto his smile when he finally responded. "Yes, they were twins. Unexpected, but both show an extraordinary resilience and have adapted completely. We will be running deeper tests over the next few weeks. Once that is done, we will have a better idea of their strengths and how to best use them."

Gast had to bite back on a scathing retort. As much as he hated the fact that those two _human _children were being treated like nothing more than disposable experiments, there was nothing he could do about it. Even though he was head of the science department, he had limited power unless it was the President's will, and the man was completely behind what Hojo was doing. He even approved of the ones that Hollander had conducted, even if they were not on par with what Hojo had accomplished. The best he could hope to do would be to keep an eye on them and make sure anything done was as humane as possible.

At that thought he finally noticed that Lucrecia Crescent was not among the scientist and he gave Hojo a curious look. "Where is your wife?"

Hojo did finally sneer at that. "I am no longer married. I found out that I am not suited to be tied down in such a way."

Gast almost thought he saw a hint of rage before the man covered it again, but he didn't press. There seemed to be more to this than he thought, but he wasn't going to get to the bottom of it standing outside. He motioned for Hojo to follow him. "Well, why don't we get some rest for tonight. I'm sure you will want to get started first thing."

Hojo looked as if he were going to argue, but finally shrugged. "The two specimens have already proven to be hardy. I'm sure they will hold up under further experiments, but you are correct. As scientists, we need to keep our minds sharp. I will see you tomorrow." He didn't give Gast a chance to reply after that. The Head of the Science Department watched him go with a bitter taste in his mouth. He had a feeling that this was only the beginning of something very bad.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **As you may have already noticed, the timeline for this will be covering a great many years. I'm sure there will be some time skips, but really, there are so many changes that have already happened that the timeline we know is muddled at best. Look forward to those changes. I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 2**

It was three days after Lucrecia woke Vincent that the last two scientists left the mansion. Lucrecia had stayed away from them mostly, and Vincent had made sure to stay out of their sight. She wasn't sure where he was most of the time, but he would check in with her once a day, so she assumed he was going through the research left behind when the other two were not in the area. She hoped it was something like that anyway. He had been so cold since he woke that she felt she no longer knew him. The thought was a painful one, but not nearly as painful as the fact that they hadn't been able to even start on a plan to get the twins back.

As the two, Lily and Evan, were leaving, the young woman stopped long enough to seek Lucrecia out. She found her in the sunroom staring out one of the many windows toward the mountains. She felt terrible for the woman, but she was in no position to offer anything other than her sympathy. No one wanted to cross Hojo. Lucrecia jumped slightly when she called out but quickly masked her pain with another smile. Lily didn't say anything about it. Instead she got into why she had been looking for her. "Evan and I are leaving now. I wanted to check one last time to see if you will be going as well?"

Lucrecia tried her best not to look nervous as she responded. "No, I think I may stay here for a short time at least before I figure out what I will be doing. I will not be returning to Midgar."

Lily gave her a quick hug. She knew it didn't mean much in the big picture, but she hoped Lucrecia understood her reasoning at least. "I am sure there would be a place for you if you change your mind. I hope to see you again someday."

Lucrecia gave her a nod and a fragile smile but didn't say anything as the girl left. Once they were both gone, she made her way back down into the basement. She thought they might have locked everything up, but the only locked door was the one to the room Vincent had been in, and they had been the ones to lock that to keep up appearances. It would not have surprised her if the younger scientist had known and not said anything.

When she made her way into the lab, she grimaced at the sight of the empty tanks before she jumped in surprise at the sound of a voice directly behind her. She spun around and found Vincent had finally come out from wherever he had been hiding. She nearly cringed at the cold look he was giving her, but she was glad that he repeated what he said without her having to ask. "Are the others gone?"

She gave him a nod. "Yes. When they asked if I was returning, I told them I would be staying here for a short while, but I effectively gave my notice. Even if Hojo hears that I doubt that he will think of me as a threat for now; if he thinks of me at all."

Vincent's eyes narrowed at the mention of Hojo, but he didn't say anything right away. He brushed past her and headed further into the lab. He stopped at one of the computers before he spoke again. "The first thing we need to do is gather information. I can use these to hack into Hojo's files, but it will take time. I cannot rush and leave any evidence that I was there. While I am doing that you should take the time to go through everything that was left here since you will have a better idea of what is true or not. You already know that Hojo is a liar, so there is no telling what he left behind. I have checked some of them and can only assume he left these behind to be found later by someone else. It stinks of a setup."

She gave him a nod before she walked to one of the bookshelves and pulled a volume down. She barely read the first few words before Vincent spoke again. "Everything you find that is not useful needs to be destroyed. We can burn them as we find them. Also, if we are to stay here for now, it would be best if we try to come up with a cover story for the locals. We don't want them snooping around, but we cannot afford to alienate them either. It would be best if you handle that. A talk with the Mayor would be a good place to start."

Her brows had furrowed at his words. "You make it sound like we will be here long term."

Neither his voice nor his face changed at all when he answered. "I have already told you this could well take years. We will do all we can to make it sooner but be prepared for the worst."

She wanted so badly to scream at him, or to break down and cry, but she knew that neither of those would accomplish anything other than wasting time. Even with her resolve, she still had to blink several times before her eyes cleared enough to see. She finally swallowed the lump in her throat as well so she could respond. "I will talk to the Mayor tomorrow. For today I will focus on going through these. I doubt it will be a short task." Neither of them said anything else, as they both fell into the tasks they had assigned themselves.

* * *

Everyone in the part of the Science Department that had anything to do with Hojo and his newest experiments were walking on eggshells. It had been several days since they made it back to Midgar. Their first day had been no problem. The twins had hardly made any sounds. As far as babies went, the two of them were near perfect. Even when they were being subjected to the experiments lined out by Hojo, they would only cry until it was finished. Once they were no longer being messed with, they quickly quieted down.

That all changed on the second day when Hojo decided to separate them. They started crying almost immediately when they were taken to separate rooms on opposite sides of the lab. They only got louder the longer they were apart. They refused to be fed and only quieted when they finally became exhausted enough that sleep interrupted them. As soon as they woke the crying started again.

By the end of the third day, Hojo was ready to pull his own hair out and anyone stupid or unlucky enough to be in his path got the brunt of his irritation. He even yelled at Gast when the man came to check on things that afternoon. The head scientist didn't respond at all. Instead, he watched as his subordinate walked away still mumbling to himself. He realized things were already starting to spin out of control for the arrogant man and he decided keeping out of the way and watching would benefit him more.

It was after he realized the babies' cries were the cause of all the trouble, that he finally approached Hojo with a suggestion. He ignored the slight when he received a snap for his troubles and only gave the younger man a sharp look as he spoke. "Maybe you should put them back in the same room."

Hojo didn't pay attention at first. Gast swallowed his glare and repeated himself. Finally, Hojo looked back with disgust. "I separated them because they need to undergo separate tests."

Gast had to keep a tight hold on his temper. "I understand your reasoning, but it is obvious there is some problem. Also, it clearly didn't start until after they were separated. At least try my proposal, and if it does not solve your problem then you are free to do what you feel is best. It is your project after all. I am only making a suggestion."

Hojo looked like he wanted to dismiss the man out of hand, but no one ever accused him of being stupid. He took the reasoning into consideration for several moments before he turned to the closest assistant and practically yelled at them. "Bring the female. We will put her into the same room as the other and see if we can stop this incessant racket."

The young man gave a nod before he took off at a jog to follow orders. Gast didn't expect any other acknowledgment so he was not surprised when Hojo focused on watching the twin's reactions to being put back in the same room. Unfortunately, Gast realized too late what would happen when his theory was proved to be more correct than even he had anticipated.

As soon as the girl was brought into the same room, they both settled into hiccupping breaths. Gast knew that occasionally twins showed evidence of a slight connection, but he had never seen the behavior the two exhibited now. He had to bite back a curse when he saw Hojo's look of interest at the sudden silence.

Hojo's reaction didn't last long before he was barking orders. "I want another round of blood tests. Also, hook them both to an EEG. I want to see what happens when they are separated and together. We can run further tests after that."

After he gave the orders, there was a rush of motion as all the other scientists jumped to follow his orders. He watched the whole thing with a manic grin. Once the blood was drawn, one of the younger scientists worked up the nerve to speak to Hojo; something he would not have ordinarily dared, except Hojo was still grinning. "Professor, do you believe they could have a telepathic link?"

Hojo frowned slightly at the interruption of his thoughts, but he was still in a good enough mood that he deigned to answer. "Possibly, but it could be any number of other phenomena as well. We have already ascertained they have super human senses, so it could simply be that they hear or smell one another. It will be something we will need to continue to observe. It will be years before we can make an accurate hypothesis."

The younger scientist looked like he had more questions, but he swallowed them when Hojo started to frown. The twins had been separated again for the EEG tests and their wailing got on his nerves, even if he was the one to order it. Once he was sure things were back on track he turned to go to his office. He could go over the data they already gathered and not have to listen to the caterwauling. He ignored Gast as he passed the frowning man. He knew what his current boss was thinking and didn't care. Once he was in the hall, he smiled as he thought of all the things he could accomplish once he was in that position.

* * *

Lucrecia was standing nervously outside of the largest house other than the mansion. She had been pointed to it when she asked where the Mayor was. Apparently, he worked from his home. That wasn't so surprising with such a small town. It also didn't surprise her to find that he also helped the hunters occasionally. They didn't have much in the way of produce and didn't have soil that was fertile enough to support large scale farms or ranches. They relied mostly on imports for their daily vegetable needs. That explained why most of the town had more of a pallor than the area would suggest.

She caught herself thinking on a tangent again and shook her head. She was only glad that no one had seen her standing there in front of the door and staring into space. She steeled her resolve and knocked. It was only a few moments before a pretty brunette woman opened the door. Lucrecia was surprised to see her. The woman must have realized she was there to see the Mayor, as she opened the door wider and gave Lucrecia a smile before she spoke. "Please come in. My husband is out with an inspection team, but he should be back shortly."

Lucrecia felt her nerves start to melt. She wasn't sure what kind of reception she would receive since, as far as they knew, she still worked for Shinra. Having the Mayor's wife be so warm helped ease that fear a little. Only a little though, as she still hadn't talked to many others in the town.

She was led to a small sitting room and the woman waved to one of the chairs. "Please have a seat. Would you like some tea?"

Lucrecia gave her a smile. "That would be lovely, thank you."

The other woman gave her a nod and a smile. "I'll be right back. Make yourself at home."

Lucrecia hadn't planned on snooping while the woman was gone, but a small display across the room drew her eye. She was standing in front of it before she realized she had even moved. What she found had her eyes widened. It was a collection of hunting trophies as well as several black and white photographs of different men with large kills. There was even a dragon among them. All the photos had one man in common. She was drawn from her reverie as the woman returned with the tea. "Ah, I see you've found my husband's pride and joy."

She set the tea on the small table before she joined Lucrecia at the collection. She smiled wistfully and shook her head before she turned. "My husband is one of the best hunters in the village." She paused and gave Lucrecia a rueful smile. "I'm nearly certain that was why he was elected as Mayor. Oh! But don't tell him I said that."

Lucrecia smiled at the young woman. She estimated her to be a year or two younger and she was so bubbly, it was hard not to like her. The woman's eyes widened as she came to a realization. "Where are my manners, I never introduced myself." She held out a hand before she continued. "I'm Trisha Lockhart."

Lucrecia shook the proffered hand with a smile. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Lucrecia Crescent." At that, she followed the young woman back to the waiting tea. It helped her relax when they got lost in the latest gossip that small towns were prone to. Lucrecia almost allowed herself to forget why she was there in the first place and allowed the inane conversation to soothe her.

She had no idea how long they were chatting like that before they were interrupted by the door opening. Trisha jumped up when her husband came in and Lucrecia could tell the woman only refrained from jumping on him because she was there. She felt a pang at the sight, but she didn't let it show when she was introduced. The mayor gave her a curious look as he shook her hand. It wasn't an open curiosity either. She had expected it, so she didn't let it bother her as she finally launched into the reason she was there.

"Mayor Lockhart, I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Lucrecia Crescent. I was one of the scientists working here, but I have decided to stay here long term. The rest have all returned to Midgar."

Trisha shuffled nervously when she saw her husband give the woman a hard look. None of the townspeople trusted Shinra, and she hadn't thought that the personable young woman she had invited in had anything to do with them. It occurred to her that she should have questioned her further, but it was a moot point as her husband spoke. "Ms. Crescent, I have no idea why you want to stay, but know that we will not tolerate trouble."

Lucrecia swallowed, but she steeled her nerves. This was the reception she had expected. "I have no intentions to cause trouble at all. In fact, I was hoping to see if there was anyone in town that needs help. If I am to stay here, I will need to be gainfully employed and I have no qualms with hard work."

To say he was shocked was an understatement. He had not been sure what to expect from a Shinra employee, but the thought that she might ask for work had never crossed his mind. His look didn't change though. "If you are employed by Shinra, why would you need other work?"

Lucrecia barely managed to stop herself from shuffling nervously. She knew this question was likely to come up and at least she had an answer prepared. "When I decided to stay here, I was allowed the use of the mansion, but it also meant that my work is now considered part time. I have use of the facilities, but I have no further way to support myself. I am willing to do anything that is in my capacity to do."

The Mayor finally lost his hard look. He sighed as he pointed to the chairs. "I think maybe you should explain things a little better. I can decide what to do after we talk."

Lucrecia gave him a nod and followed him while Trisha went to get more tea. Once they were seated, he gave her a curious look. "Explain why you decided not to go back to Midgar."

Lucrecia thought this question might come up as well, but she hadn't been able to figure out exactly what to tell them. She knew she didn't want to lie, as that could cause problems down the road if it were found out, but she also wasn't sure how much she could trust them with the truth. She finally decided when Trisha came back and joined them. She took a deep breath to try to calm herself. "I am aware that you have no reason to trust anyone from Shinra. I recently found out the hard way, why that is the case in most places outside of Midgar."

She paused and took another breath, and then another. She could feel the tears pricking her eyes at the thought of what she was about to share, and she blinked a few times to keep them from falling. She caught Trisha's widened eyes and nearly broke down. She felt a single tear fall, but she ignored it as she spoke again. "The head scientist that was here took something very important away from me. I cannot say what it was right now, but I want them back. I can't fight Shinra, but I know there has to be a way. I planned on staying here until I can figure out how to do that."

No one spoke after that for several moments. Trisha came around and gave Lucrecia a hug when she saw another tear fall. At the unexpected motion, the scientist found she could no longer keep her tears at bay. She tried not to break down into sobs, but she couldn't stem her tears. Finally, the Mayor stood and gave her an unreadable look. "We don't want any trouble with Shinra, but I can't blame you. As long as you keep the town out of it, I will not deny you. If you're looking for work, the inn needs a new clerk. You can tell them I sent you."

Trisha stood at that point and helped Lucrecia to her feet. Once she was standing, she held out her hand. "Thank you, Mayor Lockhart. I will make sure I do not bring any trouble to Nibelheim."

He shook his head at her before he took her hand to shake it. "Don't thank me yet. I will be keeping an eye on you." He let go and started to turn back to the door before he stopped and gave her a small smile. "Also, if you plan on staying here for awhile then you might as well call me Brian. Being called Mayor is still new for me."

She gave him a smile and a nod as she followed him back out. He quickly gave her directions to the inn he mentioned, and Trisha wished her luck before they closed the door. Lucrecia was surprised and a little hopeful at how well that meeting went. She couldn't squash the hope that it meant things were finally looking up. She couldn't stand the thought of her children being in Hojo's clutches any longer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It had been two months since Lucrecia started as the clerk at the inn. Despite all her worries and all the research she was doing when she wasn't at work, she still took her work at the inn seriously. They didn't get too many customers, mostly the people from the trading caravans that came through every couple of weeks, and the odd traveler. During her slow days, she was assigned inventory, including figuring out everything that needed to be restocked. More and more the woman that owned the inn relied on Lucrecia. She was a young mother and her husband was out with the hunters often. Having Lucrecia there to take care of the inn made it easier for her to take care of her young son.

It was a bitter reminder for the scientist that she still had no new information on her own children every time the woman came in to check on things. She knew it was unfair, but she was relieved when the woman asked if she would be alright running things by herself most of the time. She didn't hesitate to agree.

The one thing that made the whole ordeal bearable was Trisha Lockhart. The younger woman came by nearly everyday to see how things were going, and it wasn't long until the two of them became friends. Despite what Trisha's bubbly personality led people to believe, she was sharp. After Lucrecia's conversation with the Mayor, and some well thought out questions, it wasn't long at all until Trisha figured out exactly what had been taken.

When she confronted the scientist with her thoughts, Lucrecia broke down. Luckily it had been a slow day, and no one came in to see the two of them behind the counter. Trisha spent a couple of hours trying to console her. After her breakdown, Lucrecia made Trisha promise not to tell any one else in the village. She had given her word not to allow trouble to come to Nibelheim and if others knew it could cause problems. Trisha didn't like the request, but she understood it. The only other person that knew was her husband and he had softened considerably toward the newcomers as well.

None of them had met Vincent yet, which was probably for the best. When Lucrecia was asked if she was alone, she hadn't been certain how to respond at first. She finally relented and told them her husband was there as well, but that he was ill and rarely ever left the house. It wasn't exactly untrue, just not in a way that they needed to share with others. That also insured that no one bothered them.

It was getting close to winter and the last of the trade caravans would be through in a few days. Once it was gone, there would not be another for two months, during the time that the passes over the mountains would be uncrossable for the wagons. At that news, Lucrecia had completed a thorough inventory and realized a few things. The first being, even the hotel would have a hard time for the next two months. She knew that most families did some gathering with their hunting, but she wasn't sure how they made it through the winters. The past year hadn't seemed harder than what they were used to in the village and yet no one was looking forward to the coming cold.

The second thing she realized, was that she had a decision to make. They still had no clues on the twins or ideas of how they could extract them, and pursuing that had taken up most of her time. If they were to do more than just survive the winter though, she would have to go ahead and accept the fact that Nibelheim was now their home until something changed. She had not wanted it to become home. It was only supposed to be a short-term base of operations, even though Vincent had told her it would take longer. She had refused to admit it. It felt too much like giving up, and she had already done enough of that. When she gave her findings to Mrs. Heflin, the innkeeper, and left for the day, she knew she no longer had that option.

It was already dark by the time she got back to the mansion, but she knew it was likely that Vincent would still be down in the basement. He rarely left; at least not while she was awake. She had a feeling he spent his nights prowling the areas around the town, although she had nothing to back that feeling up. She was unsurprised to see him in front of one of the monitors when she made her way down.

She leaned against the door jamb and watched him for a few minutes. As much as she had been struggling with these decisions, she doubted they would mean as much to him. He had already made it clear that he would not give up, but that he also did not expect quick results. She finally sighed and moved to stand behind him and look at what he was working on.

They rarely talked, even when they were working side by side, so her voice sounded strange in the silence when she spoke up. "Have you had any luck?"

He didn't bother looking up and barely moved when he answered. "No. I have gotten into the Shinra database but Hojo has everything on the twins in a separate network. He must be getting paranoid as he has set it up with a random number sign in. I have to figure out the algorithm before I can crack it."

Lucrecia closed her eyes to hold back her tears. She should have known it was not going to be easy. His tone didn't help either. He was as cold as he had been the day she woke him up. It was even worse that he didn't talk to her unless she asked. She supposed he might tell her things if they were important, but she asked at least once a day, so he never got the chance to be proactive.

His announcement finally allowed her to teeter from the edge she had been on. If they were no closer than they had been, then she could not keep pretending it would be over with quickly. She did allow a few tears to fall at that, but she walked to where she could see his face before she spoke. "Vincent, there are a few things we need to talk about. Could we please take a minute?"

His fingers paused but he didn't stop. He barely looked over at her before he spoke. "It is important for me to focus on this. Now is not a good time for us to speak."

His response was not unexpected, but she still frowned slightly. She wasn't ready to give up though. There were decisions that had to be made and it would be best to make them together. "I understand if you hate me. It is justified after what happened, what I allowed to happen, but this isn't about you and me. There are things we need to prepare for and decisions about how we are going to handle things that pop up here. At least take a few minutes to talk with me about those. Anything else can wait."

He finally looked up to her with a glare and she had to resist the urge to take a step back. They sat there like that for several moments before he stood with a frustrated sigh. He turned his back to her and took a few steps before he spoke. "I don't hate you. I can't. You have admitted to your mistakes, but I am still dealing with mine. You have no idea how much all the things done to me make it that much harder."

He turned back at that point. He was still glaring, but it looked more like he was in pain. "I am not alone in my own head and it takes most of my concentration to keep the others from escaping. I leave when I feel myself weakening. I'm a monster. The only way I can even force myself to keep moving is the thought that if I don't then my children will suffer just as much if not more. Right now, I don't care about anything else."

That was the first time he had mentioned anything about the experiments. The pain of it stabbed Lucrecia even deeper at the thought that part of it was what she had done. Even if she had done it to keep him alive, the life he had now was worse than death in some ways. She shook her head violently to dispel those thoughts and took a step toward him. She wanted to reach for him but held herself back. She still gave him a look that she hoped conveyed her remorse and love; because she still loved him. "You are not a monster. No matter what else I do or do not know, I know that much. Monsters are made by their actions, and yours have never fallen to that. I wish you would let me help you!"

He growled at her impassioned plea and his eyes flashed golden for a split second before he took a step back. "You have already done enough."

Lucrecia cringed at his words and nearly turned away. She didn't see him bring his hand up as if to reach for her. He fisted it and jerked it back to his side before she turned back around. She was crying, but her voice was still steady. "I don't blame you for being angry. You have every right. I can't undo what was done to you, but if you can ever find it in your heart to trust me again, even a little, then I will do what I can to at least make it easier for you."

They stood their staring at each other for several moments. They both wanted to just move passed the fissure between them, but neither of them knew how to make it happen. Vincent was the first to move. He sat back down with another sigh. His voice was nearly back to the cold tone it had been. "Let me get back to this."

She nodded as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. When it struck her that he couldn't see it, she managed to clear her throat and speak. "I just need to tell you a couple of things and then I will leave you alone. You don't have to do anything, but it would be best if you knew what was going on."

He spared a glance up to her at that point and she didn't hesitate to take it. "I doubted that you wanted to interact with the villagers much, so I told them you were ill. I have let them know that you need quiet and isolation, so they should not bother the mansion either. The main thing I needed to mention was the fact that I am going to also start working on a way to supplement our food sources. With the lack of readily available fruits and vegetables, if we are to be here long term then I need to do something. There is enough equipment that I can repurpose to set up an indoor greenhouse of sorts. I will not be stopping any of the other tasks I have been working on, but the next two months I will not be at the inn every day and should have time. It will probably not help much this winter, but I will do what I can."

Despite the fact that they had not been talking, Vincent knew what that decision had cost her. It meant that she finally gave in to reality and accepted that they would not be leaving soon. He hated that part of her hope was crushed, but it was better that she faced reality. His only response was a nod before he turned back to the screen in front of him. He didn't need to watch her leave to know that she would be headed up to the room she had chosen to cry alone.

Once the door was closed, part of him wanted to go to her and at least try to comfort her, but he caught sight of his golden arm and that fist clenched. Even if he wanted to, there was no way his presence could bring her comfort any longer.

* * *

Faremis Gast found that he was spending more of his nights unable to sleep. The issue started at about the same time Hojo brought the twins back to Midgar. He would be lying if he tried to tell someone the two things weren't connected. Surprisingly, this was the first night that he decided to walk the labs and they weren't teeming with members of Hojo's team. The man usually insisted that the twins be run through the gauntlet as often as they could be and not be killed.

Gast gritted his teeth at the thought. They were babies and had already been subjected to things that would make grown men cry and beg for mercy. The thought of it had his stomach roiling. The best he had been able to do was convince the President that his prized subjects would likely be unusable of they were broken mentally. That was probably the reason the labs were so empty. Gast had been copied on the memo the President had sent out asking for the experiments to be scaled back at least until the twins were old enough to speak and could be regularly evaluated.

He took a deep breath as he made his way back to the room that held the two of them. It wasn't much, but it would have to do until he could figure out something better. He knew Hojo wouldn't stop 'evaluating' them completely, but his focus would change to teaching. The quicker the two of them picked up the spoken language, the quicker they could get back to his experiments. The thought was doubly sickening when he realized they would probably learn fast. They had already shown that they were superior to most humans in nearly every physical way. It wouldn't surprise him if they were superior mentally as well.

His thoughts were cut off when he got to the observation window and looked into the room where the two twins were supposed to be sleeping. What he saw had him frozen in shock. The woman in the room with them hadn't seen him yet so when he recovered his senses, he made his way into the room.

She jumped when she heard the door open and looked for all the world like she wanted to be sick, but Gast held up a hand and put the other across his lips to keep her silent. She barely relaxed as she gave him a curious look, but he waved her to go back to what she had been doing. She didn't take her eyes off him, but she sat again. She had Seraphina in her arms and was using the other to rock the crib that still had Sephiroth. When the babies started to stir at the silence, she started singing a lullaby once again.

Gast stood and watched for several minutes as the young woman calmed them both and bundled them together again. Once she was certain they would no longer wake, she headed to the door and Gast followed her out. She turned to him as soon as the doors were closed and started wringing her hands as she spoke. "Please don't mention this to Professor Hojo. I know we aren't supposed to baby them, but-"

Gast cut her off at that point. "What is your name?"

She swallowed and tried to keep her fear from her voice. "Lily Coban. I have been an intern for Professor Hojo for just over a year."

He smiled at her and hoped it would let her know he wasn't angry. "Well, Lily, you do not have to worry about me telling anyone. Those two are already destined to live a life that most would consider hell. Singing them to sleep when you can may be the only thing that keeps them sane."

At his words, the girl started crying. She wiped at her eyes and tried to get them under control, but she couldn't stop. "I promised Professor Crescent that it would be ok. When I left there, all I could think was 'what if that was me and my children'. I know she was devastated, and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try. They are so tiny. I can't… I can't do nothing."

Gast was horrible at trying to comfort anyone and crying women were especially bad, but he tried to pat her shoulder. He hadn't expected her outburst; he hadn't expected her to be there at all, but he understood what she was saying. It eased his heart a little knowing that the children had that much at least. He vowed at that point to do all he could to ensure that they would for as long as possible as well.

Once the girl was mostly under control, he stepped back and gave her a kindly smile. "I will see what I can do to make sure you are the one assigned to their nights. We'll also do what we can to keep others away. Those two are going to need all the help they can get."

Lily gave him a somber nod as she wiped the rest of her tears away. "Thank you, sir. I would have anyway, but I'm glad you plan to help."

Gast waved the thanks away. "Just take care of them." He turned back the way he had come with a lighter heart. Their lives would still be hell, but he would do all he could to make sure that wasn't all they saw.


End file.
